Backing Israel attack by the US is empowering Iran

Empowering Iran
by Ivan Eland

Despite growing world outrage, the Bush administration's continued backing of Israel's over-the-top military action in Lebanon can only help Hezbollah and its patron Iran. The administration's foreign policy could not be more pro-Iranian if the White House had become infested with Iranian agents.

Even after the carnage in the Lebanese town of Qana, the administration continues its nonsensical rhetoric about seeking a "sustainable cease-fire" in Lebanon as Israeli military action continues. Most casual observers employing any logic would conclude that it would be difficult to determine the sustainability of any cease-fire unless it was first attempted. Obviously, the administration's rhetoric is designed to give Israel more time to damage Hezbollah. Of course, Israel's original and implausible goal was to eradicate Hezbollah without invading Lebanon and becoming bogged down in another quagmire there. Israel has found, however, much like the Bush administration has in Iraq, that guerrilla organizations, especially ones as competent as Hezbollah, are not that easily eliminated. Israel has found Hezbollah's infrastructure and combat skills to be much more formidable than anticipated.

The bombing of Qana has united the previously divided Lebanese and much of the rest of the world against Israel's veiled terrorism. Israel will have even less time to degrade Hezbollah, which is also committing terrorist acts against Israeli towns. Soon world opprobrium will force the U.S. to stop Israeli military action. And the thimbleful of aid the U.S. is offering Lebanon will not win back any hearts for the cause. The paltry $30 million in U.S. aid being offered to that war-ravaged country is like an armed gang busting up someone's business and then leaving them $5 for repairs. ...
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Ivan Eland is Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Peace & Liberty at The Independent Institute and Assistant Editor of The Independent Review.

Tony Benn: Blair is a party to the war in Lebanon.

Interview by Majid Khabazan
Monday 31 July 2006

London - Tony Benn a former minister in the labour governments in Britain said that not only Tony Blair ,the British prime minister, did not criticise Israel for the killings in Lebanon but in fact he is a party to this war.

"This is more than being silent", he said, "Britain is fully supporting Israel and London allowing American bombs to go through British airports and they are supplying arms and sale them to Israel," he added in an interview in London here on Monday. The labour left wing activist said, "Bush and Blair say they do not want ceasefire meaning that they want the killing to go on" so there seems to be a complete agreement between the pair.

Referring to the messages given by Bush and Blair for the casualties in Lebanon Benn angrily added, "you can weep over the deaths but it is not the same as demanding the end of fighting as Kofi Annan the Secretary General of the UN and Rowan Williams the Archbishop of Canterbury have asked for." Served in the Wilson and Callaghan governments from 1964 to 1979 as secretary of state for both industry and energy ministries, Benn described the situation as outrageous and said people are angry and are going to make a big demonstration on Saturday 5 August in Hyde Park London.

"We have organised three demonstrations in the UK so far: one was yesterday in Trafalgar square and also we presented an open letter to Downing Street two days ago," Benn said.
Asked about why Blair is supporting Israel to the price of isolating his country from the rest of the world Benn said, "I believe Blair is a Neo-Conservative and he wants American power to extend in the Middle East) and for that he agrees with Bush in every aspect.
Benn said he is worried that the invasion in Lebanon might really be a way by Americans of getting Syria and Iran to the conflict rather than doing it through the argument over nuclear power. "Because Israel might be authorised to bomb Syria or even Iran, even if it is foolish to do so but they might do that," he added.

Asked about some analyses which suggest the ultimate aim of attacking Hezbollah was to involve Iran Benn said, "I think one scenario might be that as Bush has not made progress on nuclear question so he might think that if the war extended then without invasion he might try to justify bombing or something of that kind against Iran." The activist said the ceasefire will only occur when Israel feels it is enough for it and as they said they need 10 to 14 more days.
"However, when Israel stops then presumably Bush and Blair will bring NATO army in the Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah themselves," Benn emphasised.

He argued that if they are going to have any military forces in the area they have to send these forces to occupied territories of Palestine too.